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Ken Leonard, who turned 70 in June, played 300 rounds of golf last year, most of them at Skylinks Golf Course in Long Beach. Leonard says he didn't keep any stats.
Happily, we're a wiz at math and came up with some: Assuming all rounds were played at Skylinks (they weren't; but the vast majority were), Leonard shot a score of about 27,000 for the year, or 5,400 over par, while playing a distance of about 1,052 miles (assuming he didn't zigzag all over the place). Playing at a brisk clip, he spent 750 hours, or 31.25 days.
Question: That's a lot of beer. Conservatively, that's a thousand-beer year.
Answer: No, I don't do the 19th Hole anymore. I tee off at about 6 in the morning and I get around in about two and a half hours. I'm home at 8:30 or 9.
Q: That's really fast. It takes me about five hours to play a round of golf and another two in the clubhouse.
A: Yes, I couldn't have done it if I went out later and had to wait on each hole.
Q: So, you basically played six days a week.
A: I tried to play every day, but, yes, it averaged out to about six days a week.
Q: And you usually play Skylinks?
A: About 240 of the rounds were at Skylinks. When you're playing in the dark you gotta know your way around the course. And it helps to hit the ball straight.
Q: Are you sick of
A: No! I love it. Right now I haven't been out for a few days because I'm battling a case of bronchial asthma, but as soon as I can, you can bet I'll be back out there.
Q: You always play in Long Beach.
A: Yes, because the city has always been good for seniors. I don't know of another city that makes things so good for us. If you tee off by 7 a.m. you can play the back nine for 5 bucks, or $10.50 for 18, plus $7.50 for a cart.
Q: Do you always use a cart?
A: Yes, I've mostly used a cart for the last four or five years. My goal this year is to get in shape to walk 18 holes by June.
Q: Do you go through a lot of golf balls?
A: I do. I buy two-to-three dozen at a time, and I go through a lot.
Q: Do they go into lakes or just disappear?
A: I usually just retire them. They get all scuffed up bouncing off trees and cart paths. I also go through a lot of golf shoes. I go through about three or four pair a year.
Q: You go through golf shoes using a cart?
A: Yeah. They take a beating.
Q: Are you any good at golf? What's your handicap?
A: Right now I'm about a 15. I'll shoot in the high 80s, low 90s.
Q: And all 300 rounds were 18 holes, right?
A: All of them. I played every chance I got. I played on Christmas Eve, Christmas. Sometimes I'd go out later and play another six holes, or 12.
Q: How far do you hit a driver?
A: About 220 yards. It's getting shorter and shorter. Arnold Palmer said you know you're losing distance when you can hear the ball land.
Q: Are you retired?
A: No, I own a company in Santa Fe Springs. We sell metal to the aerospace industry. Been doing it for years. Douglas used to be one of our big clients. Now we sell to Boeing a lot. So I don't have to go into work in the morning. I can do a lot from home after golf.
Q: Have you golfed all your life?
A: No, I started late. I didn't start until I was in my 40s. I took up the game so I could play with my son, Dan. He got good pretty fast, and I got worse. Then, he started wanting to play with his pals, so I dropped out. I quit playing, then took it up again about 10 or 12 years ago. I took it up with a vengeance. Took lessons, got better at it.
Q: Did your son keep getting better?
A: Oh, yes. He played on the team at Los Alamitos High School and played at Long Beach City College for a while.
Q: Do you play with him anymore?
A: About six months ago he and I were playing on a Saturday morning. It was quiet, there was no outside interference; he wasn't texting, I wasn't worried about work. We just had a nice time, a father and son. I told him afterward, "After almost 30 years I finally got the day I dreamed of." We just enjoyed each other's company. It was the perfect day.
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